Grandville's Werkmeister wins second Michigan Amateur

Tom Werkmeister won his second Michigan Amateur championship on Saturday.

It also will be his last, as the Grandville resident is getting set to turn 50 — and will turn professional in an attempt to qualify for the Champions Tour.

Werkmeister beat Hartland's Beau Breault, 3-and-1, in the championship match at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada.

Werkmeister also won the Michigan Amateur in 2009, and was runner-up in 2012.

“The first (Amateur) was obviously very special, and this one is a new sort of special by being in Grand Rapids, in front of my friends, my wife and everybody,” he said. “It’s great, every bit as good as the first one, and the fact that this is my last Michigan amateur — this could not have worked out better for me.”

Werkmeister had Breault playing catch-up from the get-go in the championship match, twice taking four-hole leads, despite Breault's significant advantage in length off the tee.

There were 836 entrants for the Michigan Amateur, and those were cut down in sectional qualifying. A field of 128 started the week with two rounds of stroke play, before the top 64 advanced to match play.